EA034505B1 - Closure - Google Patents

Abstract

A snap-on/twist off closure (22) is disclosed, a package comprises the closure, e.g., a bottle in combination with the closure. The closure includes an upper wall defining an opening and a cylindrical snap on pipe (30) depending from the upper wall. The pipe includes threads designed to mate with external threads on a neck of the bottle. The threads on the pipe and threads on the neck of the bottle pass over each other when the closure is snapped onto the bottle during manufacture. The pipe includes a resistance recess (42) and a guidance recess (70). A bottom rim of the pipe, the resistance recess and the guidance recess are in contact with a forcing element (50) on a shoulder of the bottle and guide the closure into positions permitting unscrewing of the closure.

Description

State of the art

Many personal care products are sold in plastic bottles. Examples of such agents include body washes and shampoos. Despite the fact that the dosed dispensing of body wash or hair care products from the bottle is convenient for the consumer, plastic bottles are usually discarded after a single use, and they can sometimes end up in landfills, which is undesirable. Although plastic bottles are sometimes recycled, transportation to the plant for recycling and recycling itself require energy. Accordingly, it is preferable to reuse the packaging instead of disposing of it after a single use.

Although some well-known commercially available bottles theoretically allow the possibility of reuse by consumers, the ease of this process leaves much to be desired. For example, it may be difficult for a consumer to remove the cap sufficiently to facilitate access to the bottle body. This creates a significant obstacle to achieving the goal of reducing the use and disposal of plastic. Therefore, there is a need to create a bottle containing a cap, made with the possibility of easy removal by the consumer. In addition, it is important to ensure that the cap can be re-secured to the bottle by the consumer after refilling the container.

Easy consumer access to the inside of the bottle is definitely desirable, but the bottle cannot be designed to allow too easy a separation of the cap from the bottle. Otherwise, the product will be released from the container at the wrong time, for example during transportation. In addition, the task of providing an easily detachable cap should be balanced by the opposite task, namely, the ease of placing the cap on the bottle during manufacture and the associated reduction in production costs.

In US patent No. 8365933, Jacket, a lid system is disclosed comprising a snap-on lid configured to press on the neck, in which two interacting elements are biased against each other or one above the other due to their flexibility. The cover is removable with force in the axial / vertical direction only when a certain force is applied, but it can be removed by rotational movement, which is much easier to implement than the movement for removal in the axial direction. The cover has a recess in the cylindrical snap-on tube, made with the possibility of interaction with the promoting element on the shoulder of the tank. The sides of the recess are designed so that the slope at one point on one side is less than the slope at the same point on the other side.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved snap-on / screw-off lid without some of the disadvantages of the known lids. In particular, it is very durable, which can be confirmed by a standard industrial drop test. The invention also relates to a kit comprising a cap, for example a bottle in combination with a cap.

The base of the lid in accordance with the invention comprises an upper wall defining an opening and a cylindrical snap-in tube extending from the upper wall and extending vertically / axially to the lower end of the tube. The cylindrical snap-on tube contains threads on the inner wall, adapted to interface with the external threads on the neck of the bottle. The base of the lid is snapped onto the neck of the bottle, and the thread of the cylindrical snap-on tube passes over the thread of the neck of the tank with temporary fixation under this thread of the neck of the tank.

At the lower end of the cylindrical snap-on lid tube there are at least one thrust recess and at least one guide recess. The persistent and guide recesses are involved in unscrewing the lid, by means of which it is possible to easily remove it for refilling. The thrust recess contains opposite first and second walls defined by a cylindrical snap-in tube and having slopes, the slope of one wall at least one point less than the slope on the other wall at a point located at the same axial / vertical height.

When closing the lid, at least partial placement of the advancement element from the container in the thrust recess is provided. The wall of the thrust groove with a large slope is in contact with the promoting element, which resists rotation of the cover in one direction (non-opening / screwing / fixing of the cover), usually in a clockwise direction. When the lid is rotated in the opposite direction, or the direction of opening / unscrewing / the direction of removing the lid, the contact between the smaller slope of the opposite wall of the thrust recess and the promoting element advances the lid upward. The flexible properties of the lid material and / or the flexibility in the snap-in tube, due to the presence of recesses in the tube, allow internal thread turns to pass on the cylindrical snap-in tube above the external thread turns of the container neck when the cover is moved axially upward relative to the container neck.

- 1 034505

Upon further rotation of the cover in a counterclockwise direction or in the direction of unscrewing / opening, the advancement element contacts the rear end of the thrust recess, then the lower edge of the snap-in tube and then with the guide recess. During rotation of the cap in the direction of unscrewing / opening, the guide recess first moves upward from the lower end to facilitate lowering of the cylindrical snap-on tube relative to the neck of the tank so as to ensure contact of the mating threads on the cylindrical snap-on tube of the cover and the neck of the tank. Therefore, when the cylindrical snap-in tube and the threads of the throat are in interaction, when the cover rotates further in the direction of unscrewing / opening / removing the cover, the guide recess has a smooth downward slope towards the lower end of the cylindrical snap-in tube.

The downward slope of the guide recess and the relative upward movement of the lid due to it, corresponding to the slopes of the mating threads on the neck and the tank skirt, provide direction and provide minimal resistance to rotation of the lid in the direction of unscrewing / opening. The consumer can continue to rotate the cap with minimal resistance to remove the cap as a result of this. The presence of a guide recess also contributes to the reverse process in which the consumer rotates the cap in the closing direction, usually in a clockwise direction, after refilling the bottle.

The lid may include a closure element configured to contact the upper wall of the base of the lid and / or cover it to seal the opening of the lid and which is configured to be removed from the opening to dispense the product. Preferably, the closure element remains connected to the base of the lid when removed to dispense the product, for example due to a hinge or other connection.

The length of the lower edge of the snap-in tube extending between the stop recess and the guide recess is preferably at least 2 mm and not more than 5 mm, in particular from 2 to 4 mm, to increase the strength of the lid, including improving a good, fairly tight fit of the lid on a bottle for a long period of use.

The lid in accordance with the invention provides reliable placement of the lid on the neck of the bottle during manufacture, easy removal of the lid from the bottle and re-installation of the lid on it by the consumer, thereby allowing the lid to be removed to refill the container. The cover is durable, for example resistant to wear.

It is clear that changes, such as the directions of screwing / unscrewing and the location of the threads, may require adjustment of the location and shape of the thrust and guide recesses.

For a more complete understanding of the foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a bottle and a cap according to the invention with a cap shown in cross section

In FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a bottle in accordance with the invention, with a partial sectional view of the neck portion and depicting a cap base located above it, in cross section with the closure cap removed.

In FIG. 3 shows a perspective top view of a lid in accordance with the invention in an open position.

In FIG. 4 shows a bottom plan view of the cap of FIG. 3.

In FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a kit according to the invention with a cap partially rotated in the direction of unscrewing / opening / removing the cap, and with removed portions of the cap for depicting a cylindrical snap-in tube.

In FIG. 6 shows a side view in vertical projection of the upper portion of the container with the removed portions of the lid and when the lid is in the fully closed position.

In FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a cover with removed portions.

The implementation of the invention

The cap 22 is located on the bottle 20 (Fig. 5 and 6). The lid 22 comprises a lid base 24 connected to the closure cap 26 via a hinge 28, although other possible embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The cap base 24 comprises a generally cylindrical snap-on tube 30, best shown in FIG. 1 and 2, extending downward from the upper wall 25. The cylindrical snap-on tube 30 is arranged so as to interact with the neck 32 of the bottle 20. The inner wall of the cylindrical snap-on tube 30 contains one or more internal threads 34 that protrude inward.

The base 24 of the cover has a dispensing hole 36, located centrally inside the top

- 2,034,505 of wall 25. Although the hole 36 is depicted and described as being centrally located, it can be offset from the center if desired. Above and / or below the opening 36, a structure may be made to facilitate dispensing or sealing, such as an annular element 38. When the cap base 24 is located on the bottle 20, the opening 36 communicates with the inside of the bottle 20 through the inside of the snap-on tube 30 and the outside wall 23 base covers. The closure cap 26 includes a stopper 40 to facilitate sealing of the bottle.

The neck 32 of the bottle 20 contains a protrusion 60 with an external thread.

As best shown in FIG. 5-7, the cylindrical snap-on tube 30 comprises a thrust recess 42 extending upward from the lower end or edge 43. Edge 43 typically extends perpendicular to the downward axis of the tube. The second abutment recess 42a may be 180 ° from the abutment recess 42, as shown in FIG. 1. The thrust recess 42 comprises two walls 44, 46 formed in a cylindrical snap-on tube 30. The shape of the walls 44, 46 depends on the desired direction in which the lid needs to be rotated to release it from the bottle so that it can be removed.

Typically, the caps are unscrewed / opened / removed by turning counterclockwise, therefore, for the present description, unscrewing / opening in the counterclockwise direction will be assumed. However, it will be understood that a different direction can be used if desired, and the shapes of the walls 44, 46 and the location of the guide recess 70 will be adjusted accordingly.

As best shown in FIG. 6, when the cap is in the closed position, the abutment recess 42 receives at least a portion of the advancing element 50, which is a protrusion that is inextricably connected with the shoulder 80 of the bottle.

The rear wall of the thrust recess during unscrewing / opening rotation, indicated by the number designation 44 in FIG. 7, at its lower end 45, has a slope that is smoother than a slope on the opposite (front) wall 46 of the recess; the slope at the lower end of the wall 46 of the thrust recess is sharper or steeper. The promoting element 50 also contains two side walls 54, 52 having different slopes.

Starting from the initial closed position shown in FIG. 6, when the cover rotates in a clockwise direction as a result of its rotation by the consumer, the steep slope of the side wall 52 of the promoting element is reversed to the steep slope on the wall 46 of the thrust recess and rotation is prevented. On the other hand, when the lid is rotated counterclockwise from the originally closed position, the side wall 54 of the advancement element having a smaller slope is turned to the wall 44 of the thrust recess, which has a smaller slope in its lower half, for example, in a portion 45 located adjacent with its foundation. As a result of this contact between the walls with smaller slopes, instead of preventing the rotation that occurs in the case of steeper slopes, the advancement member 50 advances the walls of the thrust recess and the outgoing cylindrical snap tube 30 upward.

A smaller, smoother slope in the portion 45 (FIG. 7) of the wall 44 of the thrust recess is similar or identical to the slope of the side wall 54 of the container advancement element that faces the wall 44 of the thrust recess during unscrewing / opening. The slope of the wall 44 in section 45 is in the range from 10 ° to 10 ° less than the slope of the wall 54. Thus, if the slope of the wall 54 is 45 °, the slope of the wall 44 in section 45 is in the range from 35 to 55 °. The slope of each of the walls 44 and 54 is in the range from 30 to 85 °. The slope of the wall 44 in section 45 is measured relative to a horizontal line passing through section 56 of the edge. The slope of the wall 54 is measured at the point at which its first contact with the wall 44 is provided during rotation, and with respect to a horizontal line crossing the contact point with the wall 44, the line parallel to or coinciding with the lower edge portion 56.

Further rotation of the lid 22 counterclockwise while the consumer is removing the lid allows the advancement member 50 to pass the abutment recess 44 of the wall 44 and to contact the upper part 58 of the advancement member with the portion 56 of the lower edge 43 of the cylindrical snap tube. With further unscrewing / opening rotation of the cover 22 counterclockwise, the interaction of the upper part 58 of the advancement member 50 and the guide recess 70, shown, for example, in FIG. 7. The guide recess 70 includes a wall 72 extending upward with a slope ranging from 90 to 135 ° with respect to a horizontal line passing through the lower edge portion 56, and a wall 74 extending downward under a less steep slope located in the range from 0 to 10 ° relative to the horizontal line passing through the section 75 of the intersection of the wall 74 and the lower part 43 of the tube.

The distance between the stop recess 42 and the guide recess 70 is measured along the lower edge portion 56 from the point at which the wall 44 merges with the lower end or edge of the snap tube 43 to the point at which the wall 70 of the guide recess begins to rise at the beginning of the wall 72. The distance between thrust recess and guide recess in the direction

- 3,034,505 unscrewing / opening is preferably at least 3 mm. The distance is usually from 2 to 5 mm, in particular from 2 to 4 mm.

The presence of a guide recess in addition to the thrust recess also contributes to the rotation of the lid in the opposite closing direction, which generally represents a clockwise direction. When the cover rotates in a clockwise direction, in the closing direction, at a point 75 (Fig. 5), the advancement member 50 interacts with the wall 74 of the guide recess 70 having a non-steep upward inclination, then with the wall 72 having a steeper inclination in the direction down, then with the edge 43 in the portion 56, and finally with the wall 44 of the thrust recess and the steep wall 46.

During operation, during the manufacture of the kit, the cap 22 is snapped onto the neck 32 (for example, FIG. 2) of the bottle 20 by applying axial pressure to the cap 22 in the downward direction (or by applying pressure to the bottle 20 in the axial direction upward, or both of these methods ) Since the bottle body and the cap are made of flexible material and / or since the presence of one or more recesses in the tube allows elastic expansion of the cylindrical snap-on tube 30 in the radial direction, the internal thread 34 on the cylindrical snap-on tube over the external thread 60 on the neck of the tank and snapping the cap onto the neck. This ensures reliable attachment of the lid to the container, and the consumer or other force exerted externally will require significant efforts to separate them using a vertical or upward movement. Alternatively, the cap 22 may initially be mounted on the container 20 by screwing so as to interact with the threads.

In normal use, product delivery is achieved with the cap 26 removed from the opening 36. The cap 26 is then closed so that the plug 40 seals the opening when the product is not in use.

When there is essentially no shampoo, body wash, lotion, or other product that was originally contained in the bottle, the consumer removes the cap 22 from the kit to ensure that it is refilled and used. To remove the cover, the consumer usually rotates it in a counterclockwise direction, starting from the position shown in FIG. 6. When advancing the promoting element 50 of the lid 22 in an upward direction by rotating the lid, as described previously, the thread 34 of the cylindrical snap-on tube exits beyond the thread 60 of the container neck. The thread 34 is made with the possibility of passing the thread 60 of the neck of the tank, since the cylindrical snap-in tube is made to expand in the radial direction due to the presence of recesses and / or due to the flexible properties of the material of which the cylindrical snap-in tube is made.

Then, the advancement member 50 interacts with the portion 56 of the lower edge 43 of the cylindrical snap-in tube, and then with the wall 72 of the guide recess 70 extending upward. The latter allows the cylindrical snap-in tube to be lowered axially towards the neck of the container, which in turn allows the threads 34 of the cylindrical snap-in tube to be placed on the thread 60, after which the consumer can continue to use normal rotation to unscrew the cap from the neck of the tank. In FIG. 5, a propelling element 50 is shown within the recess 70. This screw rotation is further facilitated by the upper portion 58 of the propelling element having a downwardly extending wall 74 of the guide recess 70. The contact between the upper portion 58 and the downwardly extending wall 74 raises the cylindrical snap-on lid tube to maintain normal unscrewing action of the cover, and easy removal of the cover is provided. The pitch of the threads is similar to the slope of the wall 74.

With the cap removed, the consumer then refills the bottle with shampoo or other means. The consumer then places the cap back on the bottle by latching the cap downward over the bottle neck in an axial direction, similar to that used in the manufacture, or screwing the cap back onto the bottle neck. When choosing the latter, the edge 43 of the tube 30, moved in a clockwise direction, contacts the upper part 58 of the advancement element 50. When it reaches the point 75 (Fig. 5), it interacts with the wall 74, which has a steep elevation, and as a result of this contact the tube is lowered relative to the neck of the bottle, corresponding to the usual screwing of the cap in the downward direction.

When the front and / or upper wall of the promoting element interacts with the wall 72 of the guide recess 70, the tube 30 is lifted relative to the bottle neck 32 and the upper part 58 of the promoting element 50 is contacted with the edge portion 56. Upon further rotation, the promoting element reaches the wall 44 of the stop recess and the tube 30 is moved downward when the advancing element 50 is placed inside the recess 42. With further rotation of the cap by the consumer and the tube is moved in the direction is provided from the output of the internal thread 34 of the tube 30 beyond the external thread 60 on the neck 32 of the bottle thus snap cap on the neck of the bottle. When the wall 52 of the promoting element interacts with the steep wall 46 of the thrust recess 42, further rotation of the cover is excluded.

The lid can be reliably and cost-effectively placed on the neck of the container by vertical / axial placement on the bottle at the time of manufacture, while facilitating refilling of the container by allowing the consumer to easily rotate the cap to remove it and reinstall it on the bottle. The lid 22 can also be mounted on the container during manufacture by rotation so as to introduce thread turns into engagement.

Mentioning up or down movement in this document assumes that the container 20 is located on its base (not shown) at its end opposite the lid.

The cap may be made of polypropylene, and the bottle may be made of polypropylene or high density polyethylene. The cover is made in such a way as to be strong, resistant to normal wear and tear as a result of its opening and closing, and even as a result of falling.

Of course, it should be understood that the specific forms of the present invention, depicted and described herein, are intended solely for illustration, and many changes can be made in them without deviating from the ideas of the invention. Accordingly, to determine the full scope of the present invention, reference is made to the following appended claims.

Claims (12)

1. A cover (22) comprising: a) an upper wall (25) defining an opening (36); b) a cylindrical snap-in tube (30) extending from the upper wall (25) and extending axially to the lower end (43), moreover c) at the lower end of said cylindrical snap-on tube (30) there is at least one abutment recess (42); d) there is also at least one thread (34) on the inner wall of said cylindrical snap-on tube (30); e) the specified cylindrical snap-in tube (30) defines the opposing first (46) and second (44) walls of the thrust recess; f) said first (46) and second (44) walls of the thrust recess have slopes, wherein the slope of one of said first and second walls of the thrust recess is at least one point less than the slope of the other of said first and second sides of the recess at a point, located at the same axial height; the wall of the thrust recess has a greater slope for coming into contact with the advancement element (50) of the container (20) and resistance to rotation of the lid in one direction, which is the direction of non-opening / screwing / fixing, and the opposite wall of the thrust recess has a smaller slope, so that when turning the cover in the opposite direction, which is the direction of opening / unscrewing / removing, the contact between the smaller slope of the opposite wall of the thrust recess and the promoting element (50) provides advancement of the cap axially upwardly relative to the neck (32) container; and g) the lower end (43) of the cylindrical snap-in tube is shaped so that it has a guide recess (70) for lowering the threads of the cylindrical snap-in tube relative to the neck of the container, and the guide recess (70) in the direction of opening of the lid contains a first wall (72) having upward sloping, and a second wall (74) having a downward sloping, while in the direction of rotation for unscrewing the lid when the first guide wall (72) is in contact with the promoting element (50) on the container (20) is provided lowering the cylindrical snap-on tube (30) of the lid relative to the container, upon contact of the second guide wall (74) with the promoting element (50), the cylindrical snap-on tube (30) of the lid is raised relative to the container (20) when the lid (22) is turned in the closing direction, the promoting element (50) interacts with the second wall (74) of the guide recess (70) passing in the upper direction, which ensures the lowering of the cylindrical snap tube (30) in the axial direction to the neck (32) of the container; when the front and / or upper wall of the promoting element (50) interacts with the first wall (72) of the guide recess, the tube (30) is lifted relative to the neck of the bottle, after which the upper part of the promoting element (50) is contacted with the edge portion (56), upon further rotation, the advancing element (50) reaches one of the walls of the thrust recess and the tube (30) is moved downward when the advancing element (50) is placed in the recess, while the advancing element (50) interacts with a steep wall at ornogo recess is provided to prevent further rotation of the cover (22). 2. The lid of claim 1, further comprising a closure cap for closing the hole pivotally attached to the base of the lid. - 5,034,505 3. The cover according to claim 1, in which, when the advancement element is in contact with the first wall of the guide recess, the interaction between the thread of the cylindrical snap-in tube and the thread of the tank is provided. 4. The cover according to claim 1, in which the second abutment wall has a smaller slope and this smaller slope of the second wall of the thrust recess is not more than 10 ° less and not more than 10 ° more than the slope of the side wall of the promoting element of the tank, which faces the second the wall of the thrust recess during the unscrewing of the lid, with a smaller slope of the second thrust wall and the side wall of the promoting element facing the specified second thrust wall, have slopes from 30 to 85 °. guiding deepenings guiding deepenings 5. The cover according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the thrust recess E in the unscrewing direction is at least 2 mm. 6. The cover according to claim 5, in which the distance between the thrust recess in the direction of unscrewing is from 2 to 5 mm. 7. The cover according to claim 6, in which the distance between the thrust recess em in the direction of unscrewing is from 2 to 4 mm. 8. The cover according to claim 1, in which the first wall of the guide recess has a slope of 90 to 135 °. 9. The cover according to claim 1, in which the second wall of the guide recess has a slope of 0 to 10 °. 10. Containing a combined cap and bottle, the container that contains the cap according to claim 1 and a bottle having a neck of the bottle and at least one advance element, the neck of the bottle contains external threads, and at least one advance element of the bottle is made with the possibility of at least partial placement in the thrust recess of the cylindrical snap tube of the cover. 11. The container according to claim 10, in which when the advancing element contacts the first wall of the guide recess, the interaction between the thread of the cylindrical snap-on tube and the thread of the bottle is provided. 12. The tank of claim 10, in which the second abutment wall has a smaller slope and this smaller slope of the second wall of the thrust recess is not more than 10 ° less and not more than 10 ° more than the slope of the side wall of the promoting element of the tank facing the second wall thrust recess during unscrewing of the cover, and a smaller slope of the second thrust wall and the side wall of the promoting element facing the specified second thrust wall, have slopes from 30 to 85 °.